Lend a Hand: Poems About Giving

by John Frank, London Ladd (Illustrator)

Overview

A collection of original poems centered on giving and spontaneous acts of kindness, which also incorporate larger themes of community, intergenerational relationships, young mentors, and care for the environment.

"The spread of warmth
should have no bounds."

Making a difference in the world can be as simple as planting a tree, giving up your seat on a bus to a disabled person, or training a puppy to become a guide dog. These are just a few of the simple acts of kindness featured in this collection of fourteen original poems. Each poem emphasizes the compassion and the joy of giving. Representing diverse voices-different ages and backgrounds-the collection shows the bridging of boundaries between people who are often perceived as being different from one another. The first step in bridging those boundaries is to extend a hand.

John Frank is an accomplished poet and the author of several children's books, including three highly-praised poetry collections. Coupled with London Ladd's emotive illustrations, Lend a Hand demonstrates that empathy and social awareness can start at an early age.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620142226
Publisher:	Lee & Low Books
Publication date:	07/29/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	25 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

John Frank's books include The Toughest Cowboy: or How the Wild West Was Tamed, about which a School Library Journal starred review said, "Tall tales this enjoyable are hard to find," and which was a Bulletin Blue Ribbon Award winner; The Tomb of the Boy King, hailed as a "mesmerizing epic poem" in a starred review in Publishers Weekly and as "perfectly honed" in a starred review in The Horn Book; and How to Catch a Fish, praised in starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Frank lives in Redmond, Washington.

London Ladd graduated from Syracuse University with a BFA in Illustration. He works primarily in acrylic print in a painterly style, for which his picture book illustrations have been highly praised. He carries a sketchbook and paints with him everywhere he goes. Ladd and his family live in Syracuse, New York.

Editorial Reviews

"Frank and Ladd join forces to present common opportunities for children to help others. . . At once familiar and slightly out of the box, these giving scenes gently suggest that even the smallest acts can inspire and achieve great ends." — Kirkus Reviews

"[T]his is a gentle book that will add value to any classroom or library collection." — San Francisco Chronicle Book Review

"Written in simple everyday language, these 14 free verse poems show young people in acts of sharing, caring, or kindness. . . [Paired] in conjunction with home or classroom discussions about social responsibilities, waging peace, or bullying, these instances of individual and collective giving may serve as inspiring models." — Booklist

CCBC Choices - Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Delaware Diamonds Awards - Diamond State Reading Association
Louisiana Young Readers' Choice - State Library of Louisiana
Notable Poetry and Verse Novels - National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)

From the Publisher

07/01/2014
Gr 1–5—Acrylic and pastel paintings depict children, teens, and adults of varying ages, races and abilities going about their daily routines: eating lunch in a cafeteria, getting a haircut, reading in a library. The accompanying short poems, however, depict simple acts of kindness, adding a further dimension to the book. For instance, the poem "Sandwich" describes a girl offering another student part of her lunch ("At noon, I noticed/the new kid/sitting alone/with only the words of a book/to feed her."), paired with an illustration of the two. It would be easy for a book with this title to hit readers over the head with its message. Instead, this is a gentle book that will add value to any classroom or library collection. For a different angle on the same topic, pair this book with David Ezra Stein's Because Amelia Smiled (Candlewick, 2012).—Toby Rajput, National Louis University, Skokie, IL

School Library Journal

2014-06-04
Frank and Ladd join forces to present common opportunities for children to help others.Ranging from quiet, solitary acts such as writing a letter to a soldier stationed abroad to publicly cheering for the class klutz’s first hit at bat, these 14 free-verse poems and Ladd’s richly textured accompanying acrylic-and-pastel spreads show how easy and rewarding extending oneself can be. In fact, the accessibility of Frank’s diction underscores the simplicity of the giving acts described. For example, “Sandwich” tenderly depicts a youngster’s lunchtime encounter with “the new kid / sitting alone / with only the words of a book / to feed her.” The speaker shares “half of my sandwich,” then notices that “though I had / only half for myself, / after I ate it / I somehow felt full.” Likewise, “No Charge” captures the contagious causality of being on the receiving end of a kind act: When a bike-shop attendant provides a quick tune-up for free, the young rider then passes on that courtesy by helping a woman load grocery bags into her car but refusing a tip. Ladd’s evocative illustrations lend a literal depth to the poems, helping young and pre-readers envision themselves in these situations even further.At once familiar and slightly out of the box, these giving scenes gently suggest that even the smallest acts can inspire and achieve great ends. (Picture book/poetry. 5-10)

Kirkus Reviews